This invention is in the field of operating a windlocking curtain to prevent the intrusion of unwanted air, fluid (water and/or seawater) and debris during hurricanes and other high wind velocity storms. An access panel is provided for manual operation of an in-wall curtain drive system.
In the event electric power is lost, electrically motorized curtain drive systems will not function. A manually powered and operated curtain drive system does not depend on the availability of electric power and will always function to protect the window, door, stall, bay or other opening from the intrusion of air, water or debris. During hurricanes and other high wind velocity storms, the breach of a building opening can cause great damage to the structure. If the building structure is not breached and remains relatively sealed, then substantial damage can be prevented.
The instant invention provides, among other things, for an access panel which can be retracted and rotated out of the way so that a person can reach inside a wall and operate a pulley cord and pulley. The manual drive system for operating a protective covering for a window, door, or other building opening includes a guide residing in a wall of the building. The guide is fixed to the building and resides within the wall. A sliding, retractable extension arm is movable back and forth within the guide. A first spring is operable between the guide and the retractable extension arm. An access panel is pivotally attached to the sliding, retractable extension arm. A pulley drives the protective covering for the opening and, specifically, a pulley engaging device drives the pulley.
The access panel is retractably and rotatably movable from a first position adjacent the wall of the building to a second position spaced away from the building. Under the influence of an external force (such as the hand of a person) the access panel is retracted thus enabling access to the pulley engaging device within the wall so as to operate the pulley and the protective covering. The pulley engaging device is typically a cord or a chain. Equivalents to a cord or a chain may be used. When the access panel is in its second position, the retractable extension arm extends beyond the wall of the building.
A second spring is operable between the retractable extension arm and the hinge for insuring rotatable closure of the access panel. The access panel further includes a stud affixed thereto and the building further includes a clasp affixed thereto. Upon rotatable closure of the access panel, and upon translational closure of the panel, the stud engages the clasp and it is therefore assured that the access panel will remain snugly against the wall.
The access panel is typically wood trim surrounding an opening in a building. Sometimes this wood trim is referred to as molding. The access panel may reside either on an interior wall of the building or it may reside on an exterior wall of the building. The use of the first and second spring in combination with the clasp and stud arrangement insures that the access panel may be made of a section of the wood trim or molding surrounding the interior opening of a building. The clasp and stud also ensure that the section of wood trim which covers the access opening fits well with respect to the remainder of the wood trim thereby providing an aesthetically pleasing appearance. In other words, it is an object of the invention to have an obscure access panel.
The access panel may be secured to the wall through use of the stud and clasp alone. In this embodiment, the access panel is removed from the wall and temporarily set aside while the pulley cord or chain is operated. Alternatively, another embodiment employs just the guide, extension arm and springs to allow operation of the pulley cord and securement of the access panel to the wall.
A method of operating the curtain which protects the building opening is also disclosed. The method utilizes a guide secured within a wall of the building. The guide includes a retractable extension arm slidable within the guide and movable with respect to the guide. A first spring is operable between the guide and the extension arm. An access panel covers an opening in a portion of the wall of a building. A hinge having a rotatable post is used with the hinge affixed to the retractable extension arm and the rotatable post affixed to the access panel. A second spring is utilized in the method and is operable between the retractable extension arm and a bracket which extends from the rotatable post affixed to the access panel. A pulley is also utilized A pulley is also utilized in the method for driving the curtain and a pulley engaging device such as a rope or a chain operates the pulley. The steps of the process include grasping the access panel by hand; moving the access panel away from the wall; retracting the retractable extension arm with respect to the guide; rotating the access panel and the rotatable post with respect to the wall; grasping the pulley engaging device by hand; pulling downwardly on the pulley engaging device and rotating the pulley; and, thus, operating the curtain. The method of operating the curtain is equally applicable to access panels residing on the interior of the building structure or on the exterior of the building structure.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a retractable access panel which enables access to a pulley for operation of a curtain.
It is an object of the invention to provide a hidden access panel which is aesthetically pleasing and which matches the ordinary interior or exterior building appearance.
It is an object of the invention to provide a hidden access panel which is affixed to a retractable extension arm of a guide, with the guide being affixed directly or indirectly to the frame of the building.
It is an object of the invention to provide a first spring operable between a guide and a retractable extension arm of the guide. It is a further object of the invention to provide a second spring operable between the retractable extension arm and a bracket, the bracket being part of the post.
It is an object of the invention to provide an opening in an interior wall or an exterior wall which, coupled with a retractable access panel, enables operation of an in-wall pulley system for driving a curtain between open and closed positions.
Other objects of the invention will become apparent when reference is made to the Brief Description of the Drawings, Description of the Invention and Claims which follow hereinbelow.